DIY Enamel-Builder Toothpaste: Remineralize Your Teeth Safely and Naturally

About 3 years ago I was hesitant to try a homemade toothpaste recipe. I was so comfortable purchasing a natural brand from my local health food store, and figured I’d just keep doing so, since I only went through one tube about every couple months or so.

It wasn’t until I came across a recipe for a DIY enamel-builder toothpaste that I decided I’d buckle down and give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose? I figured that making my own toothpaste would also save the waste that was created by the toothpaste tubes I purchased every year (plastic is a major problem, and we all need to do our part in reducing our consumption).

I also wanted to try out my own toothpaste (despite the initial inconvenience of making it), because I discovered that even “natural” toothpastes contain ingredients that can inhibit remineralization.

Toothpaste Ingredients Not Good For Teeth

Conventional toothpastes contain ingredients that are full of dangerous chemicals and toxins, like sodium fluoride, propylene glycol, sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), triclosan and more. These ingredients do the exact opposite of what we want for our teeth – they break down the enamel and even make our teeth yellow.

Some dentists are even advising their patients to go toothpaste-free, like Dr. Neal Nealis, D.D.S.. “The overwhelming reaction I get is that they’re skeptical, they’re shocked,” Nealis said (1).

Nealis re-thought his position on toothpaste after a study was presented at the American Dental Association meeting in 2006. The study called toothpaste abuse the second major cause of abrasion wear, behind tooth grinding.

Dr. Thomas Abrahamsen of Mansfield, Ohio, said that brushing your teeth with toothpaste gives a worn, sandblasted appearance. As a result, your teeth become darker, enamel becomes thinner, and visits to the dentist become more frequent.

Even “natural” toothpaste contains ingredients like glycerin, which can inhibit remineralization – something our teeth need to stay strong and healthy. Glycerine is added to toothpastes because it gives the toothpaste a “pasty” feel. Unfortunately, glycerine coats your teeth like plastic wrap, which attracts bacteria and blocks your teeth from the minerals secreted in your saliva (which would under normal circumstances, without the glycerine, mineralize your teeth).

Is Tooth Remineralization Possible?

In order to remineralize your teeth, you need to take a two-step approach: addressing mineral levels in the body/saliva and using a natural remineralizing toothpaste to provide minerals to the surface of the teeth.

Below I’ll describe how this remineralizing toothpaste works, but many people have successfully gotten rid of cavities by utilizing similar toothpaste recipes.

The most important part of tooth remineralization is diet. If you don’t have enough minerals in your diet, or you’re eating foods that strip minerals from your body, your teeth are going to reflect that. Making sure you have enough minerals and fat-soluble vitamins in the diet is essential for strong, healthy teeth.

Phytic Acid
Minimizing foods that contain high percentages of phytic acid like soy, beans, wheat, nuts, seeds and legumes is the first step you should take. If you can’t eliminate these foods, then at least soak, sprout and ferment to reduce the phytic acid content.

Refined Sugar
Another thing you should do is remove refined sugar from your diet. Refined sugar feeds oral bacteria, which prevents a healthy flow of dental fluids. It is also highly acidic and demineralizes and decalcifies the teeth (which eventually leads to tooth decay).

Eat More Veggies & Healthy Fats!
Last but not least, include plenty of healthy fats in your diet like avocado, chia seeds, coconut, and hemp seeds. Also, make sure to consume nutrient-dense foods like dark leafy greens, ripe fruit and root vegetables.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is another major vitamin your body requires to support healthy bone formation – your best bet? The sun!

Oil-Pulling
You can also get into oil pulling – an ancient oral hygiene practice that will eliminate bad bacteria and help mineralize the teeth.

The Benefits of a Remineralizing Toothpaste

If your teeth are prone to decay, or you simply want strong, healthy teeth throughout your life, you will likely benefit from this enamel-builder toothpaste recipe. Below are some of the main-players in this remineralizing toothpaste recipe that even mainstream dental researchers agree can help remineralize teeth.

Calcium Carbonate: strengthens your teeth and supplies it with essential calcium. It also helps remove the stains in your teeth and pulls out debris. Studies have found calcium carbonate to effectively remineralize the enamel on our teeth (2).

Bentonite Clay: great for pulling out toxins, and is also rich in calcium, so helps to remineralize our teeth. It binds to unhealthy substances in the mouth (like those around the teeth and on the tongues and gums), helping to remove them before you swallow them.

Baking Soda: highly alkalizing, and since acids are what break down tooth enamel in the first place, alkalizing your mouth is a great way to promote dental health.

Cacao: (not cocoa) contains beneficial compounds that help fight tooth decay (3). For instance, theobromine has been found to be more effective than fluoride in remineralizing our enamel. Cacao also contains tannins, polyphenols and other flavonoids which greatly improve dental health. Tannins can actually prevent bacteria from sticking to your teeth, while polyphenols neutralize the effects of pathogenic bacteria that live in your mouth. Flavonoids are great antioxidants that help prevent tooth decay.

Activated Charcoal: possesses strong whitening and detoxifying capabilities. Using activated charcoal in my daily brushing regime has greatly whitened my teeth.

Xylitol: effective at remineralizing our enamel (4). It is also a sugar alcohol, so it is very sweet, and therefore makes the toothpaste a little more palatable.

Concentrace Minerals: contains a host of different minerals that help support the mineralization process of our teeth. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to tooth decay (5), and teeth with higher magnesium content have been shown to be less prone to decay (6).

Clove Essential Oil: clove bud oil is known for its benefits in improving oral health. It not only fights bad bacteria, but it has been shown to slow tooth decalcification (7). Clove oil is also great for relieving toothaches and reversing gum disease.

DIY Enamel-Builder Toothpaste

This enamel-builder toothpaste recipe is quick to make and naturally remineralizes the teeth. I’ve included links under each ingredient (just click the name) so that you can easily order the ingredients straight to your home.

Ingredients:

– 3 tablespoons calcium carbonate powder
– 1 tablespoon baking soda
– 1 tablespoon xylitol
– 1 teaspoon all-natural salt
– 2 tablespoons bentonite clay
– 1 tablespoon cacao
– 1 tablespoon activated charcoal
– 3 drops clove essential oil
– 3 drops vanilla essential oil
– 10 drops Concentrace Minerals
– water to mix

Method:

1. Add all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork or spoon.
2. Add in the essential oils, Concentrace Minerals, and as much water as you need to create a paste-like consistency.
3. Store in a glass mason jar, and keep in your cupboard. This recipe does not need to be refrigerated.